Automatic pump



c. IVI. MCF/IRLAND. AUTOMATIC PUMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. I3, 1920.

Patented May 2,--1922s INVEN TOR.

.mw .INN Y u s *lili/11111111111] C. IVI. MCFARLAND.

AUTOMATIC PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. 1920.

.1,41 4,990.. Patented May 1922. l

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PATENT olf-Flea.

:CHARLIE MLMCARLAJND, er wrcm'r' FALLS, TEXAS;

miroiterie PUMP.

Appneatio 'mea april is,

scription ofthe invention, such as will enable others'skilled'in the art to which it 'appertains to makeand use "the same.

This invention ,relates to an automatic pump, andv more particularly to an apparatus designed for pumping oil, and .one which may be operated by compressed air supplied from a central' air compressor, in order lthat a number of pumps may be operated `from the same source of power.

A further object is to provide a` pump, especially adapted for-the purpose indicated, but not limited to that use, which V'will keep the well pumped `down to a predetermined level, determinedv by a float, which automatically sets the pump in yoperationwhen the oil or water to be pumped has reached the aforesaid level. d

A still further object is to provide a pump from which the paratne which frequently accumulates in, oil pumps may be removed by the simple operation of heating the compressed air by means of which the piston is operated, or by introducing steam into the A still further object is to provide in connection with af suitable casing and afloat operative when the fluid reaches a ,predeter mined level, v means for admitting air under pressure for actuating the piston of the pump upon its working stroke, means for automatically returning the piston, and means for controlling the admission and exhaust of the air in timed relation to the movement of the piston. v

-With the foregoing'and other' objects fin: view, the invention consists in the vnovel conf' struction, combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

invention.

Inv the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of` a"'p'ump which is constructed in accordance with my Figure 2 is a horizontal section 'on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows.

Figure 3 isa vertlcal section onv theline .Specication bf letters Patent. I l Patnted May 2,1922.

1920.) serial No. :wassa 3--3 of Figure 2,'looki'ng in the direction indicated by the arrows. i

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-*4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction'i'ndicated bythe arrows. Y

Figure5`is a detail view invertical section of the air cylinder. Figure 6 is a detail view in vertical sectionof ghe lowerportion of' the discharge'pipe, an -v Figure'7 is a vertical section through the lower end of ln carrying out my invention, I provide a main casin A10 which is supported by a section of tublng v11. The tubing 11.is suitably mounted, and ithouses'the 'supply and discharge pipes 14 and 15 respectively. The pipe 14 conducts air under pressure to the 'interior of, the `pump casing, and the oil ort other fluid to be pumped is discharged through the .pipe-15.,l

' The pipe 14 isunder'the control of an in- `let valve 16'which in turn lis .underthe control-of a float 17 and`plunger-24. yTheloat 17 is located in a chamber 18 between heads a slightly modified form of the 19 and 20. f' Nearits4 lower end the floatV chamber 18 is provided with a Huid inlet and outlet opening 18a. A rod 21 connects the float 17 to one end of the pivoted lever' 2'2,

.and the other end of the' lever isfpivotallyifI connected with the stem 23 of the, plunger .24, f

operatingin an air. cylinder 25. An outlet port 26 for this cylinder communicates with an air exhaust pipe 2 7. The .valve 16 is proeef vided/with'anoperating arm 16, and this-" arm is connected by a spring'29 to the upper 'end of a crank arm'28v on the`lever 22.

The means' connecting the float 17 land plunger 24 tothe] valve 16 is'of suc'h'construction that the valve 16 will be closedby,

and when thefloat reaches its lowest position as the result-of a allof the'li uid in the well below a certain level, that the valve 16 will be closed' by and whenthe ioat'reaches its highest position as the result of the return,

of the liquid .to its normal level, and that the valve will be closed 'by andv when the plunger 24 is" forced into its highest positionby the air exhausting from the chamber 32. The

raising of the ioa't 17 vhlowers the. plunger 24 and the raisin float. plunger 24, and -when the liquid inthe well is at a certain level, the oat 17 will be forced of the plunger flowers the When't e .valve 16 isopened byfthe 1 down int-o the liquid against its buoyancy. This results in the raising of the rHeat 17 and the opening oit the valve 16 after the spent charge ot air which opened the valve 16 by raising the plunger 24 has passed out through the exhaust pipe 27. During its upward movement the float 17 swings the arm lll . valve 31 is in opened 28 from the left to the right of and during its downward movement the Heat swings this arm from the right to the left of the vertical. During its upward movement the. plunger 24 swings the arm 28 rom.\ the rightl to the left of the vertical. During the movement of the arm 28 from one of its positions to the other the spring 29 is tensioned, and when the arm reaches either of its positions the spring reacts and closes or opens the valve 16 and holds' it in the position to which it has been moved.

The air inlet pipe 14 is connected at its lower endto a valve casing 30 serving to house a valve 31 which is normally urged in the direction of its seat Iby a spring 31a. 'lhis valve controls the admission of air into a chamber 32. Within this chamber there is mounted a plunger 33 which has direct connection with the piston 34 by means of a piston rod 35. A. spring 36, which encircles the piston rod 35 and which bears its upper end against the under side of the plunger 33 and at its lower end against the upper side ot a grid 33a, returns the elements 33 and 34 to their elevated position after their downward or working stroke.

'llhe admission oit' air under pressure to the chamber 32 forces the plunger 33 and pump piston 34 downwardl and drives dut the oil or other duid which has entered the -cylinder 37 through the intake valve 38 during the upward stroke of the pl-unger and piston. The tluid passes from the cylinder 37 into the discharge pipe 15. 'llhe valvel15 is located as shown and serves the usual purpose. 'lhe valve 40 permits the exhaust oit air below the plunger 33, in order that the plunger may freely operate ony its down' stroke. ,ll/"hen the plunger 33 and piston 34 reach the limit of their downward or working stroke, the air is exhausted from the upper portion of the chamber 32, the air passing out through a pipe 43 which has communi'- cation. with the air cylinder 25 in which the plunger 24 operates. The plunger 24is below the exhaust 26 of the cylinder 25 when the valve 16 is opened, and it is above the exhaust 26 when the valve 16 is closed. An

exhaust valve 44 is located at t-he point shown and controls the passage ol air from the upper portion of the chamber 32 into the discharge pipe 43. This valve is normally urged in the direction of its seat by a spring. 44a, and it is in closed position when the position and in opened positron when the valve 31 is in closed position. Connected to the upper side of the the vertical, j

'Cams 57 and 58 are Lampen plunger 33 is a stem 46'having a head 47. 'lhe stem passes through an eye portion48 of a vertically movable rod 49. 'llhe rod 49 is slidably mounted in bearings 51 whichare carried by a bracket arm 52 depending from the under side or the head 19, and it has' Sullicient frictional contact with the bearings to prevent it from having any accidental downward movement. A crank arm 52 is carried by the upper end oil the rod 49, andsecured to the outer end of this arm is a spring A53. The spring is also connected to a crank arm 54 which extends from a cam shaft 55. llhe cam shaft 55 is journaled in bracket arms 56 which are also carried by the head 19. carried by the shaft 55, and they engage the lower ends of the stems 31b and 44b of the valves 31 and 44, respectively. 'lhe relative arrangement of the cams 57 Aand 58 is such that when the shaft 55 is rocked in one direction the valve 31 is opened and the valve 44 closed. 'llheny the shaft 551is rocked in the reverse direction, the cams 57 and 58 permit the spring 44a to open the valve 44 and the spring 31a to close the valve 31.

lin the drawings the plunger 33 and the piston 34 are shown at the limit of their upstroke, the valve 16 is shownr in opened position, the valve 31 is shown in opened position, and the valve 44 position. Air under pressure entering the chamber 32 through the valves 16 and 31..

itorces the plunger 33 andthe piston 34 downwardly; that is to say, the air imparts av working stroketo, the piston 34. Just before the plunger 33 and piston 34 reach the limit of their downward or working stroke, the head 47y 'of 4the stem 46 engages the eye piece 48, moving the rod 49 downwardly until its crank arm 52 is at a point below'the crank arm 54. `Vhen the crank arm' 52 reaches this position, the

Sult imparts downward movement to the crank arm 54. The oscillation of the shaft .spring 53 is under tension and as the ref 55 as a consequence of this movement of the crank arm 54, moves the cams57 and 58 in a direction to permit the seating of valve 31 andunseating of valve 44. 'lhe air to the chamber 32 is now cut oil' and communication between the chambers and the. air cylinder 25 is established. Air passing from the chamber 32 to the-cylinder 25 through the pipe 43, raises the plunger 24. As the plunger 24 isconnected to the lever 22 by the stem 23, the upward movement of the plunger will rock the lever 22 against the buoy- -ancy of the float 17, resulting in the closing of the valve 16. lWhen the plunger 24 passes'upwardly beyond the exhaust port 26, the air in the chamber 32 passes out through the exhaust pipe 27 and thev plunger 33 and y piston 34 are 'moved upwardly by thespring 36. dust previous .to reaching its highest larged the plunger 33 will engage the enlower end 59 ofthe rod 49. During the balance of its upward movement, the plunger 33 will move the rod 49 upwardly, and when the plunger 'reaches the limit of its upward movement'the crank arm 52 will be positioned above the crank arm 64, resulting in the tensioning of the spring 53. The spring now moves the crank 54 in the reversed direction, and the oscillation of the shaft l55 as the result 'of .this movement of the crank arm 54 moves the cams 57 and 58 in such a direction as to unseat the valve 31 and seat the valve 44. The instant that the valve 44 is seated, the pressure on the under side of the plunger 24 is less than the buoyancy of the plunger 17, and as the result the plunger will move upwardly. and open the valve 16 admitting air to the chamber 32.

The pump is adapted to continuously operate as long as there is sufficient oil or other fluid in the well to support the'float 17 in its highest position. When the oil r other fluid in the well falls so low as to permit the float to move to its lowest position, the operation of the pump is stopped by the closing of the valve 16. When the oilor other Huid in the well rises sufliciently to return the float 17 to its highest position, the pump is again set in operation by the opening of the valve 16.

lIn Figure 7 there is illustrated a slightly modified form of the lower end of the pump. In this form, the piston 34 and cylinder 37 are dispensed with, the element 33a perform-y ing the functions of the plunger 33 and the piston 34. In other words, the element 33a acts as a plunger and piston. It is moved downwardly against the tension of the spring 33b by air under pressure, and it is moved upwardly by the reaction of the spring 33. The preferred form of the invention is especially adapted for use in deep wells, whilethe modified form is especially adapted for use in shallow Wells.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it should be apparent that I provide a pump which will automatically and continuously operate as long as the oil or other fluid in the well remains at a certain level, that it will automatically cease to work as soon as the oil or other fluid in the well falls below a certain level, and that it will be again automatically set in operation as soon as the oil or other Huid returns to its first or point,

v voriginal level. The pump is simple, durable and eflicient, it may be manufacturedy and sold at a comparatively low cost, and it may be operated at a comparatively lowcost.

I have referred to the use of compressed air for driving the plungers downwardly on their working stroke, but do not wish to beA relance t 1i limited to such construction, as theair pressure ma`y be di'erently applied, and minor details of construction may be changed or altered within the scope of the appended.

claims.

`What is claimed is 1. In a pump, a plunger, a throttle valve for compressed air to impart working movew ment to the plunger, a movable member to control movement of the valve, and a valve to move said member through exhaust of the compressed air from the pump.

2.`In a pump, a plunger, a throttle valve for compressed air to impart working movement to the plunger, a valve to move the first mentioned valve through exhaust of the compressed air from the pump,"a lever connected with one of the valves, and a yieldable connection between said lever and the other valve.

3. In a pump, a casing having an air chamber therein, a pump chamber-enclosed within the casing, a plunger in said pump chamber, means to return the plungers to inoperative position after the Working stroke,

"means for admitting air under pressure to one side of the plungers for effecting the working stroke, and means for controlling the admissionof air and controlling the exhaust of air from the air chamber, said 'means including a plurality of valves, the

position of which is controlledby the position of the plunger, and one of said valves being opened when the other is closed.

4. In a pump, an air chamber, a duct for admitting air under pressure thereto, a plurality of valves controlling the passage of air through said duct, a float operatively connected with one of the valves, an exhaust air duct connected with the air chamber, a plunger operated by the exhaustA air and having operative connection with the valve last named, a valve controlling the passage of air from the air chamber to the exhaust =duct, one of the valves last named being opened when the valve leading from the" chamber to the exhaust duct is closed, a plunger -in the air chamber, and operated when air is admitted under pressure through the inlet air duc-t, a pump cylindeifand a plunger operating therein, means operatively connecting said plunger, and means operated by the plunger first named for controlling certain of the valves for cutting of the air supply to the air chamber and opening the exhaust duct.

In testimony whereof I alix my signaturev in presence of two'witnesses.

CHARLIE M. MGFARLAND.

Witnesses: I

MAX SHUMAKE, E. M. BABER. 

